Water is absolutely essential for your body to function well. Water makes up 60% of your body, which is why it is important that you make sure that you are drinking enough water. But how much is ‘enough’ water and how much extra water do you need to drink when fasting? And why should you be drinking water in particular whilst fasting? Intermittent fasting, which is the one I use regularly, involves cycling between periods of eating and fasting, and research has shown that it improves weight loss and increases better brain function. But fasting needs to be regulated, understood and that is where water comes into it. This blog will outline why water and fasting are an important combination.
Why is water an important part of your health
Water is essential for good health. It helps to break down your food so that your body can absorb the nutrients, it will aid your digestion without water your digestion will become uncomfortable and unreliable. In the same way that your body needs macros (protein, carbohydrates, and fats) to function, it also needs water.
Water is essential for your everyday bodily functions, your body uses water for every cell, organ, and tissue to help maintain all your bodily functions. Water is essential for all of life’s biological functions including boosting energy, improves digestion, helping to detoxify and hydrating your skin.
But the most essential job that water does is in delivering important nutrients to your cells, especially muscle cells. Water is the elixir of life without it your cells won’t metabolise properly and you will be unable to flush out toxins from your body.
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Balancing acid-base levels – your kidneys and lungs work to maintain the acid-base balance. Even slight variations from the normal range can have significant effects on your vital organs and without drinking enough water your blood pH level
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Flush out toxins from your lungs, skin, and colon (particularly during a fast)
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Regulating your hormones
- Hydrating your skin
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Delivering important nutrients to your cells
Water is essential for you, but even more so when you are fasting
Cute baby photo playing with water – doesn’t help to explain why you need to drink more water whilst fasting 😉
Why is water so important when fasting?
Fasting works by prolonging the period when your body has burned through the calories consumed from your last meal and begins burning fat. In order to keep you feeling satiated drinking water will not only help you to feel fuller but will also ensure that your body functions well.
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1. Water keeps your digestive flow going when fasting
Water lubricates the food that you eat and water aids the smooth digestion and flows through your body. Water will greatly help the elimination of waste products and make the entire operation run more smoothly. Is that polite enough?
Fasting will help to restore good digestion and elimination. The movement through your intestines which is referred to as the peristaltic action is quickened. These functions are all greatly improved with the addition of water to flush your system.
Read more Intermittent fasting and reduction of belly fat does it work?
2. Toxin Removal is increased when fasting
Your body uses a lot of energy to digest food which is one of the main reasons the health-conscious turn to Intermittent Fasting. When you are fasting the energy previously used for the digestion of your food can be used for other purposes like the elimination of dead cells, damaged tissues, fatty deposits, tumours, abscesses. These undesirables are either burned for fuel or expelled as waste.
The elimination of these undesirable toxins will restore your immune system and help perk up your metabolism. Water is essential for helping with the elimination of these by-products. Water assists in the cleansing, detoxification, and purifying of your intestines, blood, and cells.
Your bodily fluids transport all the waste out of your body. When you have the right amount of water then your kidneys and your whole renal system will work smoothly on excreting this waste produce without a hindrance.
Do you need to kick start your water habit? Join my water challenge and I’ll encourage you to drink more water, it is free to join the FREE 7 Day Water Challenge
3. Water keeps your brain going whilst fasting.
Your brain is made up of 85% water. A loss of water intake can result in adverse bodily effects due to hampered brain function. Simply put in normal circumstances if you are not drinking enough water then your brain function will be affected, whilst fasting this risk is considerably increased as your body needs more water to expel your toxins and purify your body.
When your body has a shortage of water, it takes it from less important places (joints) to use in more important place (brain)
4. Water stimulates your nervous system when fasting
Your nervous system consists of the most important part of your body which is, the brain. Your whole system can be rejuvenated through enough water consumption,
5. Fasting removes fat, but only when you have enough water
Fasting won’t be a success if you are not able to meet your daily water intake. Keeping your body water balance intact helps in decreasing your weight. The liver helps to break down the fat with the help of water and it’s nutrients.
Your brain communicates to your kidneys with the help of the posterior pituitary gland, signalling the amount of water to excrete or hold on to. In case you are low on your body fluids, the thirst mechanism is triggered. However, this thirst mechanism is often confused with the ‘I’m hungry’ message.
Ensuring that you are drinking enough water will mean that you will be able to satiety both your thirst and your hunger mechanism. Not only that, drinking water, can help you to feel full, which is important when you are first getting into IF.
How much water do you need to drink?
A daily recommendation for your fluid intake is about three litres of fluid which is about twelve glasses of water each day. Approximately one of those 3 litres (about four cups of water) comes from your food.
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When your body is in a fasted state it starts to break down damaged components and detoxifies your body. It is very important that you flush out those toxins by drinking lots of water. Ideally, you will drink more water than you usually would. I drink roughly 2-3 litres every day, especially when I am exercising.
Do you need to kick start your water habit – join the water challenge here
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Like a little earworm, I am going to change your life, you can continue with your normal routine and add in a few habits and change your thinking about food and hydration. You will become healthier, happier and leaner.
Would you like to get your nutrition right?
The Gentle Reset – 6 weeks reset your mind and detox your body
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Each time this programme opens it is only open to 10 new enrolments and I’d love you to be a part of it
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Let’s take Catherine as an example, she retrained as a primary school teacher with 3 boys and a large extended family meant that Catherine and little time to focus on herself, let alone her health. Her trigger came when her workload and home balance became too much. Her health was suffering. Find out more about Catherine’s story and others click here: success stories click here
How much does it cost?
Your investment is currently £415 but this is for a limited time, the price will be increasing soon. Click here to join the 6 week The Gentle Reset Grab your place before my prices go up, you need to be fast.
BE QUICK this programme, along with all my programmes will be increasing in price very soon > Click here to find out why I am raising my prices But you’ll also discover how you can grab a place before my prices go up, but you will need to be fast.
Gorgeous is your journey of discovery
PS. If you have read enough and you know that this is for you, and you are ready to discover the next stage of your journey – then click here to join my next round before the prices rise
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